St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-04
"N onsense, then what proof have YOU tn "A
the communication was genuine?o ..Ea
said he was sorry for me-
LxNcHED Ry moovL,Gur.

II L.
Ned Rice, Gambler and Murderer.
Dies 10 Cong regatiOnaI Music.
New York World.
The town OF Fielding or Fielden. lies IN
a willOwbottom near the Rocky Mountains
1t contains between one and two hundred
inhabitants, and is comparatively new and
obscure On the plains there are CATTLE
men, who visit the place for supplies. The
country is barren and forlorn, and at this
time of the year the singing winds whist,
and whistle over the hard snow and down
from the ugly mountains. The fuel is
sage brush of the plains and the scrubb,,
cedars of the hills. The town has one
business street, on which are cheerless
shantieS used as a Palace Hotel" that is
shabby saloon: general store. called
The New York Branch" a Chinese
laundry, butcher shop. called a Meat
Parlor," and two extra saloons. one of
which has pool table. The butcher can
do little blacksmith work, and clerk in
The New York Branch dspenses simple
drugs and dirty sticks Of candy.
A few nights ago Ned Rice as he was
! known in Fielding, came into town. pro-
fuSely armed. and tried to start game.
He has been wandering for years. under
even as far as st. Louis. His little game
was more or less crooked, but before the
autumn revived there were poker PLAYERS
in Fielding who could not be cheated. They
were now, however. praying for all man
KIND except the yellow heather who ran
the laundry. One of the brethren at q re-
llgious meeting prayed for a blessing uuon
white labor, and Ned who could not get in
betting game. and was at the meeting.
said loudly: That won't wash" And
three times he was heard to calculate
Amen" iii tone which Indicated that it
did not come from change OF heart. A
| convert approached him and said. ssMr.
Rice. we are not Fairysees or fanatics. and
we like you as an old friend who has took
away or left money here; but don't fetch
no o-jum into this here shrine; dye hear
meg"
Ned thereafter joined in the singing, with
a good voice. but he disturbed the neophytes
| by keeping time with his feet. After the
| meeting he joined in the conversation, but
was mystiied by the change in the manner
! of the community, of whom large ma
| Jorlty had been converted, and he felt he
owed somebody grudge. He had been
partially educated i'll his younger days in
Kentucky, and had been a reader of books,
and now, feeling Inundated he endeavored
10 offset the devoutneSS of the believers
with vaingloriOuS words Of learning. He
disdainfully looked around and asked for
the grand gooroo. the high muck
amuck, the illustrious gable-ended.
slab sided. three ply gilt edged
and warranted-to-wash Meinheer Mo-
lock from Bagdad." There was muss
in his eye. He picked up mans coat
| and quoted scripture TO prove that he
ought to give him his cloak also He in
| vted al unmarried sister to 20 to the
Palace hotel shanty and have meat
offering and drink-offering, land" said
she. ''I'll take smoke Offering" He adj
| dressed the ladies as seraphims and the
men as cherll-bums When a young lady
refused to go to the Palace and eat whole
can of oysters he began to quote poetry:
Alonzo the brave was the name of the knight.
| The maid was the fair Imogene.
Afterward he went to ''the New York
branch" and listened 20 the gossip Thence
he went to the Palace and sneeringly looked
at game of euchre played for fun. Some
of the converts drank with him but he was
not propitiated. Finally he got up CHEAP
game with some of the unregenerate. There
was no excitement in it. He drank freely
and swore volubly. He became ugly and
| quarrelsome. and called man a liar. The
man forgot that he was converted and
knocked Ned down. All in a moment
| Ned jumped to his feet and shot the man
through the head Two or three bystand-
ers seized, disarmed and bound him. 4
watch was placed over him, and he sat tied
| in chair all night.
| The next morning meeting was held
| and the debating was long and Serious lie
was decided that Ned Rice ought to die.
The brother of the murdered man tried tn
shoot Ned, but the wise men decided that
| he ought to have time to prepare himself.
| His hands being partially freed, he was
| given Testament, which he read with
| great interest but without sentiment He
spoke freely. but was unrepentant. He
said: you demoraized me with
all this pritty business. You didn't
give me time to get broke in
But I'll play Judge Lynch there game of
! anything, whether I'm shot or hung. I'd
rather be shot, Some of the brethren
were in favor of shooting him. but some Of
the spiritual shepherds said that hanging
was the usual deliberate way of sending
man above. Vainly he offered his horse and
all his money to the church if they would
let him die drunk, quoting Shakespeare:
We'll teach you to drink deep ere you de-
part" They offered him some wine. but he
refused it. saying that he would never 20
back on 1.-THE old stuff"
1t was decided to hang him by moon
light. There were one or two cotton
woods growing near the stream. and
limb was braced sufficiently to hold his
| weight. Before he left the Palace several
of the ladies sang hymn, in which Ned
joined. Several of them shed tears, and
he donated his horse to them for the pur
chase of hymn-books. At the cotton
woods he was seated on his horse with
rope around his neck. Another hymn
was sung. Ned adding his baritone One
of the men then prayed for the soul of the
man who was about to ascend by descend
ing. and another man delivered an address.
Ned Rice was asked whether he had any
thing to say. and he replied that after all
expenses were paid out of his own pocket
he wished that the balance should 90
| toward paying the expenses of the man
whom he had shot. Then a low, mounfu
hymn was sung. one of the brethren prckeC
Ned's horse, and he swung oil and died Il
| slow music.
mo nS Rrid